Between the 18th and the 29th December 2025, I travelled with the Coastal Express by Hurtigruten from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen. The temperatures were unusually high for that time of the year and latitude and we even had a bit of rain at the North Cape!
During the trip, I wanted to draw and paint as much as I could, including the stunning landscapes, bronze statues in the ports and the wild sea we were experiencing. I used my sketchbook to capture all those memories, with ink and watercolour, and I managed a few mountain scenes from life, sitting and drawing in the Explorer Lounge.
On the last day of the trip, I gave a presentation to fellow passengers about my way of combining art and travelling and I showed and talked about each of the sketches I did (you can see them all below). Now, back at home and in my studio, I would like to work on a few bigger projects from this trip, for example, a northern lights oil painting and a few foggy mountain scenes in watercolours.
I enjoyed the trip so much that I can’t wait to extend the memories through working on a few additional paintings. Art really lets you create and enrich your own world!
Any of the paintings below can be purchased as prints, or painted in bigger upon request as a commission. Just get in touch with me at johannatomczak.art@gmail.com
